Star Wars Battlefront 2

Oh dear. Why has this happened?! I've been waiting 2 whole years for the next Battlefront game, hoping for an improved Battlefront experience that lives up to the originals. But EA and Dice deliver this? I have to say this is not a bad game, but in all respects it is disappointing yet again but on a deeper level.

I'll start by telling you that Battlefront 2 looks stunning and sounds perfect. This is one of the best, if not "the" best Star Wars experiences in gaming for its slick presentation and immersion. The visuals are absolutely outstanding and the level of detail in all the worlds are spot on. Not to forget the excellent sound design with a great soundtrack and all the sound effects pulled straight from the films. Any Star Wars fan will relish in interacting with very single molecule within Battlefront 2.

In terms of gameplay, Battlefront is a tightly constructed (for the most part) game with excellent gun play, satisfying action and tweaks to make this the most refined Battlefront experience to date(for the most part). There's been some big improvements and one of the biggest inclusions is an actual single player campaign. There's an interesting story of a young soldier fighting for the Republic, taking out rebel scum and doing all manner of evil. What starts out as a promising campaign does fall into generic and bland story telling as your character switches sides and without a great deal of motivation which just feels completely out of character. It's a shame as we could've witnessed a compelling narrative from the perspective of our most feared enemy. It's also very short, but has some great set pieces and moments of pure Star Wars action galore.

Multiplayer is again like before an imperfect but enjoyable experience, depending how you play. Most maps are ill designed for large matches with too many camping spots and ally ways of death (camping spots meet corridors, bridges ect where easy pickings often occur) and everything can become a massive cluster ****. Maps are visually beautiful none the less with a high level of organic detail and craftsmanship. Big let down is less modes and no new innovations compared to the previous Battlefront. Plus, the loot boxes. Now you can play the game without having to spend any of your hard earned cash but progression is heavily stilted by an overwhelming sense of grinding. Something simple such as unlocking one of your favorite characters or a piece of loot can be infuriating and slow.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 is disappointing to say the least. Granted it looks/sounds perfect, offers a decent campaign and the gun play is excellent in execution. But there's a lack of substance with less game modes, sub-par maps and of course the loot boxes. We can only hope for Battlefront 3 to be the perfect game we've been waiting for in the series. In the meantime, I'll be playing the 2005 version of Battlefront 2.